Divinity School students refused yesterday to outlaw "pious" religious activities from Student Association Meetings.

At a "protest meeting" called because of the demands of 15 members of the association, president Jacob F. Schulman 2Dv cast the deciding vote in a tie ballot, and succeeded in tabling a motion that "no religious activities precede business meetings unless they are specifically called for by a majority vote of the association."

But opposition leader John M. Coffee 2Dv countered, "We'll fight this thing again and again. The problem is not dead."

A Pica for Picty

The meeting at noon in Andover Hall was in response to a plea made two weeks ago in the inaugural address of Schulman, asking for students to attempt to be more pious by such measures as having "prayer before meetings."

Brandoch L. Lovely 2Dv, who made the defeated motion, said that piety should be left to the individual, not forced on him by the administration, in accordance with "real religious freedom."

Lovely said that "the chapel in the Yard." (Appleton Chapel) and Andover Hall's chapel "should be enough for those who want that type of piety." He observed that prayer before meetings would offend some and bore others who do not have the same interpretation of the world "piety."

"You Can't Be Given It"

He said, "If you don't have it, you can't be given it." Lovely commented that in the past there had been no pre meeting devotions. He said his measure would "be there in case anyone ever wants to open a meeting with prayer."

Lovely assured the group that he wasn't against "piety," but was opposed to officers of the association prescribing what piety should be.

According to Coffee, the meeting was "mainly for constitutional clarification," in spite of the "piety" controversy.